Gaming Habits (Or, Don't watch me if you don't play videogames)

So I play video games. A lot. I have no problem admitting that I love a wide variety of games on pretty much any console. Shooters, adventure games, platformers, strategy games; as long as I find said game enjoyable I'm all for it. However, there are pretty much three different ways that I actually go about playing video games.

First and most common for me is social gaming, i.e. playing video games with other people around. This is not to say I am playing games with people (that would be the next way), but rather either I or a friend are playing a game while others watch, talk, and so on. This social atmosphere, where the game is either the topic of conversation or simply something in the background to be observed while discussing anything else. I have had a friend ask how it is possible for three of us to have fun watching another play a game; the best I can figure that is just how I have been about games for a long while. I personally find games to be as fascinating to watch and analyze as any other medium, even if it is only in my head. More often though, at least among my friends we would sometimes talk of the game, sometimes just comment on it, and often just talk as usual and watch the game be played, commenting occasionally.

Next up is the style of gaming I prefer: multiplayer, particularly cooperative play. I love co-op: working on a team with someone is almost always preferable to doing something alone. Games like Gears of War, Resident Evil 5, and Army of Two really hit that sweet spot, especially when playing with a friend. One part is certainly the shared experience of something that can be quite challenging. As opposed to simply watching someone overcome a challenge, having a part in that surmounting makes the whole experience that much better. In the previous games I mentioned there is also a prompting of trying different play styles and coordinating with your partner(s). For example, in shooters I am often the guy who likes sniper rifles and long-range combat, content to sit back and pick off enemies. As luck would have it, my friends often prefer to be more in the action, shotgunning away and clearing out the enemies in a more personal manner. Combining these styles and working with a friend provides such a great feeling when getting through a particularly difficult section (as a side note, this is also because playing co-op often results in playing on a higher difficulty overall). Multiplayer, while not always at fun, also has that satisfying feeling of playing with others, only against real humans. I much prefer local multiplayer (all on the same system), as there is just something special about being in the same room as the people you're racing/fighting/whatever. Online is of course fun also, but mostly relegated to shooters in my case.

The final way to game, for me at least, is of course alone. I'm not a big fan of this, just because I have so much experience with the other two styles. There are definitely times where I feel like paying a game with no one else around, but the vast majority of times I would rather there be at least one other person to talk with. When I am alone and playing a game I usually try to go with one that doesn't need music so I can listen to podcasts or my own style of music. That's about all there is to this, at least in my thinking.

Final note, there is one style of gaming that I do not enjoy at all: trying to play a game with people who do not play games watching me. Unless it is something that is somewhat relatable to the average person's knowledge of video games (say, a Mario game), I often feel uncomfortable with the person just watching me. Just not my bag.